POSSESSED - Revelations Of Oblivion

May 15, 2019, a year ago

(Nuclear Blast)

Greg Pratt

Rating: 8.0

reviewblack deathpossessed

Yeah, no pressure, Possessed returning after putting out two proto-death metal classics, 1985's Seven Churches and 1986's Beyond The Gates, here with new full-length Revelations Of Oblivion. It's one of those situations where it's almost impossible to unpack everything that's happening and enjoy the music: expectations are so high they're almost low... but mainly they're really really high. And, luckily, it would appear that time has not worn down the edge here, Possessed screaming and raging from the get-go on Revelations Of Oblivion, the band playing at an appropriate tempo that approximates brisk death and Teutonic thrash, the songs no-frills death metal of the quality you're hoping for.

What is a bit of a surprise is the clarity that they're delivered with: I realize this is 2019, but this is Possessed; you just expect it to sound psychotic. But the sound is clear and hefty, this not at all sounding like the war metal album I thought it might and instead sounding like the professional DM album it is. Honestly, I could have used a bit less polish in the production and a bit more chaos. Not that it distracts me too much from the killer DM at hand here, which has a bit of variety to it, as well: on some songs, like “Omen”, the band slows down the pace a bit, while tracks like the killer “The Word” show hints of melody (just hints, don't worry). I could have done with a 43-minute versus a 53-minute run time, and the vocals feel too high and separated in the mix, but this is an extremely solid, very enjoyable, passionately delivered death metal album from one of the very first DM bands out there. And that passion is the best part of Revelations Of Oblivion, the fire still burning in these guys like they're 15 all over again, this album the end result of an obvious life-long love of death metal.